Government

Do you need help dealing with the Department of Veterans Affairs, IRS, Social Security Administration, or another federal agency? Do you have a suggestion for Congress that will help your family or community? If so, then Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet invites residents from Kiowa County to meet with a member of his Colorado staff.

Dwight Gardner, the representative from Bennet's office in this region, will meet one-on-one with Coloradans on Thursday July 26, 2018

In the debates that rage after each highly-publicized mass shooting, one side claims that more restrictive gun laws could prevent future such tragedies while the other side counters that the rights of law-abiding gun owners shouldn't be sacrificed because of the horrendous act of someone who disregarded existing laws.

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is hosting a telephone town hall Tuesday, July 24, for the residents of Baca, Bent, Crowley, Custer, El Paso, Fremont, Huerfano, Kiowa, Las Animas, Otero, Park, Prowers, Pueblo and Teller counties. This call will include a discussion of transportation matters in Southern Colorado and provide a forum for people to ask questions.

Starting Monday, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and local law enforcement agencies across the state will conduct a seven-day high-visibility Click It or Ticketenforcement period targeting rural areas of Colorado. These areas tend to have the lowest seat belt use rates in the state. Currently, Colorado's statewide seat belt use rate is 84 percent, ranking Colorado in the bottom third in the nation.

Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Don Brown has announced a referendum of producers will be conducted August 9-31, 2018 on a millet marketing order in Colorado. The High Plains Millet Association (HPMA) supports a millet marketing order and presented the results of a recently conducted survey to determine producer interest in a millet marketing order and check-off program to a public hearing held on June 22, 2018 in Akron.

Congressman Ken Buck (CO-04) announced the names of the 10 students he nominated from Colorado's 4th Congressional District who have received appointments to the U.S. service academies. Of the 10, four will attend the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, two will attend the Merchant Marine Academy, one will attend the Naval Academy, and three will attend West Point. Each of these candidates has been appointed for their superior academic and athletic achievements as well as their commitment to public service in their communities.

As Coloradans prepare for Fourth of July barbecues, parties and festivities, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and local law enforcement agencies are teaming up to keep impaired drivers off the road. Law enforcement from 88 agencies across the state will be out with increased patrols, saturation patrols or checkpoints for the Fourth of July DUI enforcement period, which runs from Friday, June 29, through Thursday, July 5 as part of CDOT's The Heat Is On campaign.

Beginning this weekend, people living the Gunnison Valley and in southwestern Colorado will have a new way to travel to Denver, Grand Junction and other locations, including areas along the Front Range beginning next week.

Saturday, June 30, the Colorado Department of Transportation's (CDOT) existing Bustang service is expanding to serve the communities along U.S. 160, Colorado 145, U.S. 550 and U.S 50 between Durango and Grand Junction.

As we observe the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence this Fourth of July, we should consider the unique form of government for which our Founding Fathers chose to risk "their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor" against the militarily-superior British.